The Goddess of Albion
by JustABigNoobLol
Summary: Princess Athenis has power beyond her understanding of magic. Beyond anyone's in Albion for all she knows, but there are only two things she cares about right now. Finding Elliot and overthrowing Logan. Will she carve a new path for herself or follow the rigid one shes been givin?
1. Mourningwood

**Hello there! I'm quite new at this, so please feel free to give ideas and whatnot, you know, correct me on grammar, double words, weird sentences, etc… There's nothing like a respectful review that can help motivate writers to continue! *wink wink* Anyways, enjoy, or not, enough blabbing from me, roll the tape! (Or your eyes :p) You pronounce the hero's name Ah-thee-ness. **

"Walter, how much longer do we have to walk in this Avo forsaken place?" The rebel princess looks down to the soggy earth, then to her clothes. Her mercenary trousers are covered in hobbe blood, with several rips streamed about, flowing in the soft, stinky wind. She bends down to rip them off, only making herself look more rugged and less like a princess.

"Be patient Athenis, we'll be there soon enough," Walter sighed, getting impatient with the constant complaining. Mourningwood was a dreadful place, yes but they have been through worse. He saw no reason for her sighs, moans and groans.

"The smell is quite awful Walter, like rotting flesh. It's also quite gloomy. I wish the sun would come out, maybe it would lift the dreadful fog." Athenis scrunched her nose, trying to get used to the stench. She looked at Walter, expecting him to say something about how it could be worse, but all he did was scratch his arm. "Where do you suppose Ben is?" She changed the subject, seeing Walter get progressively more bored with her babbling.

Walter didn't answer, not knowing where the dog had run off to, but his thoughts drifted to the dogs quite, amusing and ironic name. He gave a smirk, knowing the man at the camp's ego would falter when he realized his name was given to a mutt. "It's an interesting name you choose for that dog, Athenis. There will be a bit of confusion if you call for him where we are headed." He paused. "Well, if the bugger is still there, or alive for that matter."

"Why would there be confusion? Ben is one of the sharpest dogs I've had. And you don't think Ben has run off and gotten himself killed do you? Walter, you aren't making any sense." Athenis tried to make sense of what her father figure had told her, but soon dismissed it assuming she would figure it out when they got there.

"This place is quite dangerous at night, Athenis. I would make sure Ben is at your side before sunset." Walter suggested.

"Dangerous? What happens at night fall?" Athenis asked, fear starting to rise in her stomach. She had heard of awful things that come out at night; banshees, balverines, and who knows what else. Her father had told her about them, but she assumed they were just children's tales. After dealing with the undead in the reliquary though, she was beginning to doubt that those were just made up creatures to scare kids into behaving.

Not knowing how she would react to the undead, he slid away from the topic. "You will find out tonight. Don't fret, I believe that you are ready for it."

"I'll have to be ready for it. I don't really have much choice do I?" She asked, knowing she was probably going to have to prove herself to someone so they would join her cause.

"Right you are my girl. We are going to prove our cause for these people in Mourningwood. Well, if they are still here." Athenis sighed, hoping that it would just be hollow men. They were easy enough when in small groups, and they were good targets to practice her techniques on. Walter scratched his arm again, making red streaks on his blood spattered skin. "I don't know about dangerous, but this place is giving me a rash!"

"Bloody swamp!" Athenis shouts, throwing her arms up. They both laugh, and the mood lightens a bit. They walk in silence for a bit, every so often Athenis hearing the bark of her faithful companion. Getting bored, Athenis sticks out her arms, balancing on the wooden beams strung across the small pools of water. She stands on the pads of her feet, and flings her torso towards the ground, her hands outstretched in front of her. She lands on the thin beam, the only sound made was the creaking of wood. Her auburn hair danced above the water, she started gracefully 'walking' down the pathway. Athenis closed her eyes, and imagined she was far above the ground, on a small beam laid across two tall buildings. "Walter, do you think that I could do this, but ten feet above the ground? Would you worry that I would fall?"

"I believe you could do that on a rope, blind folded and bound at the feet young lady," Walter said with a smile. Athenis laughed and let her left leg fall forward, doing a slow, crooked cartwheel to her feet.

"You always think highly of me Walter. It's nice to know someone believes in me." She nudged him with her shoulder. Walter was her only father she knew, even if he wasn't of blood. "Hey, can we practice?" She asked excitedly. Walter raised an eyebrow at her, a little hesitant, but then laughed heartily when she started to slowly make her way farther behind him, urging him to say yes. He bent his knee, drawing his sword.

"I suppose it will help pass time." Walter knew she would need the practice, whether he liked it or not. Athenis gave him a crooked smile, the one he knew all too well. She loved to mix in her acrobatics with fighting. Athenis ran about ten feet behind Walter, took a deep breath, and lunged forward, a slight buzzing feeling making its way up her stomach. Walter flexed his free hand, trying to steady his slightly shaking limbs. Athenis jumped and spun, offering her hand to Walter when she was above him, her hair whipping him in the back of the head. He grabbed her hand and stood, flinging her under his arm and out behind him.

She straightened her legs just in time, kicking an imaginary foe in the chest. Walter twisted slightly and let go, Athenis sailing forward, landing on her feet, forcing her sword forward, killing another enemy. She turned to Walter, sheathed her sword quickly and sprang forward, to the slightly squatting man. Upside down, she pressed her hands to his shoulders. Walter stood to his full height, lifting her farther into the air as she curled into a ball, fire charging on her gauntlet. She threw the ball of fire at the ground with much force, allowing her to land softly on the ground.

In a crouching position, she let the imaginary remaining enemies creep towards her. Athenis watched her left hand flash blue with electricity, and her right glow orange with heat. She counted to four, and stood up, spinning on her heels while both hands released their power in a terrifying blizzard. After her will ran its course, she sprinted towards Walter again, him stopping his sword practice. She leaped, and Walter caught her on his shoulders, each facing opposite directions. Athenis wobbled a bit, but Walter soon steadied her and he started rotating as both pulled their triggers, in an effective shooting frenzy; Walters gun clicked.

"I'm out!" He yelled over her shots. She leaned forward, spinning just in time to land on one knee, with her hand steadying the land. They both continued to use swords, back to back, occasionally Athenis pulling a flourish.

They took practice very seriously, doing only their best. The first time they had tried with just swords in the armory, Athenis had complained, saying it was 'childish' and 'silly'. Walter had forced her to treat is as a real battle, and because of that she was alive today. Had they acted like it was a game, there would be no revolution. Well maybe one without a hero, but that would be highly unlikely to succeed.

"Let's be done, I'm getting exhausted," She breathed, sweat beading at her hairline. She saw Walter nod in the corner of her eye and swung around, her back facing him. He grabbed her and hurled her in the air, gripping her unsteady feet. She bent her knees as he tensed his arms, waiting for her to jump. _She sure loves to be in the air_ Walter thought to himself.

Athenis pushed off, charging her gauntlets once more. She was in the air long enough to cause a good sized explosion of fire and electricity when she landed on her toes, gravity slamming her hands to the ground. Athenis and Walter stood there, both breathing heavily.

"You did good Athenis. But you shouldn't push yourself, you were very unstable at the end. And you whipped me with your hair again."

" Sorry," she said, not sounding as such. "and if I don't push myself, I'll never improve," She argued. He sighed in return and headed down the path.

"Yes, just… don't push the limits. Don't go farther than wobbling, I don't need you fainting during a battle Atty."

"You either Teetee!" Athenis giggled at his nickname she'd made when she was small. Logan couldn't quite pronounce his R's as a child, so he would call him 'Waltee'. That was soon picked up by Athenis, but she was little and had to simplify it to 'Tee'. She would repeat calling him 'Tee' and then just settled for calling his name twice, setting his nickname to 'Teetee'.

Walter snorted at the name, and thoughts of her childhood came to mind. Those thoughts entangled with Logan, a sweet little boy turning into a monster. He shook his head to rid his mind of those thoughts.

"Quite the name for an old soldier!" He joked. Athenis laughed and raised her eyebrows.

"So you admit that you are old?" He laughed and feigned shock.

"How dare you accuse me of such things? I'm not old!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!" They argued like they had when Athenis was about three. It brought back memories of trivial bickering over the smallest of things. Athenis always won of course, because she was three and it was usually about if Walter was a girl in secret. He had no idea why she thought that, but he let her win anyways, knowing that she wouldn't let up.

"You so ar-" Athenis looked over to Walter, his face grim and full of despair. "Walter, what is this place? Is this what we were looking for?"

"Yes." He said, not offering more.

"It looks…"

"Abandoned." He finished. Athenis hoped it wasn't, for her father's sake.

"Let's see if there is anyone inside," Athenis offered.

"Yes, yes that's a good idea. Let's not jump to conclusions," Walter agreed, hope coming back to him.

She saw ripped flags, the royal seal faded from what little sun peaked through the thick fog. Large bricks made the walls, moss growing in between each slab of concrete. Walter walked forward, a large gate becoming clearer as they quietly took in the massive walls.

"Cease your movement!" a voice called out, making Athenis jump. "Be you men, or be you hollow men?"

Walter's expression lightens, and a smile spreads across his face. "Have you gone daft boy? Open the gates!"

"Is that you Walter?"

"The very same, now are you going to let us in or what?"

The boy stammered and called to his comrades. "Open the gates! And tell Major Swift, Walter's here!" The gates slowly creak open, letting the two enter the small beat up cobble stone camp. Men wearing red coats dragged themselves around, cleaning weapons and playing cards. A man with a very large, and impressive mustache, walks up Walter, smoking a pipe.

Ben trotted up to Athenis, his tail wagging behind him.

"Hey boy! Where've you been? You missed practice dummy!" He barked quietly in response, ignoring the comment and pressed his head to her hand. She bent down and scratched his head, smiling at her black and white border collie. He flopped on his back, demanding a belly rub. "Oh who's a retarded doggie? Who's my little retard?" Ben wagged his tail furiously, licking her hand with joy. Athenis found a stick lying next to her conveniently, and she picked it up to wave it in Ben's face. He sat up, whining. "You want it? You want the soggy stick?" She teased. He barked and she flung it over the wall, watching Ben dart through the gate to retrieve it. She chuckled and stood up, brushing herself off. Athenis looked up to see three men staring at her. She cleared her throat and tried to stop the blood from rushing to her cheeks.

Walter looked at her, a bit embarrassed, but cleared his throat as well. "This is Athenis, my dau- ahem, apprentice. I uh, I'm teaching her how to fight." He said, his words becoming more confident at the end.

The Mustache Man looked her up and down, then finally introduced himself. "I'm Major Swift, head of the Swift Brigade!" He announced proudly and stuck out his hand. Athenis took it and lightly shook hands with the Major. She would prefer them to just bow, as normal peasants would, but they had titles. She would settle for hand contact, seeming it _is_ a sign of respect. "This here is Cap-"

"Captain Benjamin Finn, at your service!" The blonde soldier interrupted and grabbed Athenis's hand. He placed a light kiss on her knuckles, making the woman stare. Hand shaking was one thing, now this is just inappropriate.

"Excuse me, I am a-"

"Very pleased to meet you! She's- pleased to meet you," Walter glared at Athenis and elbowed her. _Right_ she thought. _I'm supposed to be just woman with a sword and a pistol. Just another piece of resistance fighting for, well the princess._ She pushed air through her nose, being slightly amused at the thought. _If we are going to fight though, I will be able to use my magic. Then we will see how the _Captian _treats me. _She bobbed her head at the word 'Captain', then straightened her back and cleared her throat.

"I'm pleased to meet you Captain."

"Please, just Ben."

"Ben?" She laughed to herself, when her companion perked his ears at the man, then at Athenis, wagging his tail. Ben looked down at the mutt, now slightly embarrassed, but not knowing the reason behind it.

"Yes, what's wrong with Ben?" He asked, clearly confused by the repetition of his name. He saw both Walter and Athenis smirk. Athenis gave a small snort, wondering if he too, is a dog.

"Oh, nothing," Athenis lied, trying to hold back laughter. Walter and Athenis met eyes, both thinking the same thing. She understood now why her mentor said there would be confusion if she called for her collie.

The first impression she got from this man, was that he was a very obvious womanizer. She disliked that in men, they never meant what they said, and if they did, it wouldn't mean anything. They would always leave the next morning, with no note to tell them what had happened, and most women knew that once he was gone, he was not planning on returning. Or she's been told anyway. For these reasons, she took an almost instant dislike to the man. He did not respect her, he interrupted his Major, he was looking at her with a stupid smirk, and most of all he was handsome. Very handsome. Athenis realized what she had just thought, and a frown spread across her face. _What am I- what's wrong with me? _She shook her head and looked back to Walter who was still chuckling.

"I- haha- ahem, Athenis, you should meet the other men. It will do you good to see who has your back."

Athenis gave him a small worried look, but he didn't want to press the matter further. "Walter about that-"

"Ben, why don't you teach her how to use the mortar?" The Major interrupted, trying not to scare the poor girl out of fighting.

"Will do Swifty," Ben pressed his hand on her back, leading her to a set of stairs. She looked back to Walter and Swift, Swift leaning into his ear. Walter nodded and she couldn't help but wonder what he had asked her mentor.

Ben ran up to Athenis, holding the stick happily in his mouth. "Hey boy!" She grabbed the stick and chucked it towards Walter, hoping he would play with him while she was learning how to use a mortar.

"Are you _trying _to scare the girl away from here? If she is what you say, then we will definitely need her, especially after the loss of Lieutenant Simmons," Swift said.

"She'll be fine! Sure she might react to the undead like any normal human, but once she sees something as a threat, there isn't anything that can stop her from eliminating the danger." Walter looked proudly at the young woman, thinking her as his own kin.

She had taken to him as her adopted father after her biological dad started to ignore the poor girl. Sparrow was a good man, but he never took much interest in the youngest child. Logan was older, and therefore the closest to taking the throne. He taught Logan everything he had learned, and hoped that his son would live up to the Wainwright name, but when he found out his daughter was the possessor of his will, he ignored Logan and tried to bond with Athenis. She didn't like him, telling Walter he was mean tried to make her burn things, so he stopped letting Sparrow see Athenis. He didn't listen to Walter, saying he was her father and he could do what he wished. Athenis, thinking of the soldier as her father, told him that Walter was her dad and the hero had to do as he said. The girl was about five when she called Walter her dad. It had almost made him cry, as his only son had died at a young age from a flu, and he thought he would never know love like that again. After that day, Walter protected and nurtured her as he would if she was his daughter. And she very much was, although not blood, she was his little girl and would always be.


	2. Meeting the Gang

**Hello again! A huge thank you to hermartymcfly! Your review was awesome! I'm totally doing a little happy dance on the inside :D I am now dedicating this chapter to you! Thank you so much! This chapter is a little bit shorter than the last due to a wee bit of writers block, but anyway, enjoy! **

"Have you ever used one before?" Ben asked, eying the small woman next to him.

"No, but I'm sure I will learn quickly," Athenis says blankly, getting slightly annoyed at the blonde soldier. For what reason, she doesn't know. He just has a cocky attitude, which makes him all the less attractive. She sighs inwardly and wishes he would treat her like royalty, as she's been accustomed to her whole life. Obviously that isn't going to happen.

"I would hope, because if you can't, I don't know _who_ would ever follow _you_ into battle," Ben says, leaning in now. "Who would follow a hero who can't learn how to shoot a mortar?" He hears a slight gasp come from the princess and chuckles lightly, knowing full well that he was not supposed have any clue about her 'secret' identity.

"How did you know?" She asks, her voice low and surprised.

"Let's just say Swifty isn't the best at whispering," He sees her eye him and adds, "but your secret is safe with me, princess." He winks and starts to walk up the stairs before he's grabbed and pulled back.

"Don't call me that _Captian,_" she whispers harshly, tightening her grip on his arm. This earns her a small wince, but despite that Ben laughs, which only makes Athenis angry. He plies off her fingers and continues up the stairs, leaving her behind. She jumps steps to meet with him, getting irritated. "I'm serious! If anyone finds out I'm royalty, it might change their view on me and they would be very likely to not accept me as a hero!" she says, a little more harshly than she intended.

Ben laughs and turns around. " Believe me, _Princess_, any one of these men would gladly follow you out of here and into a revolution."

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Why? I'm Logan's sister, they have every reason to believe I 'm just like him."

Ben shakes his head, and gestures out to the scattered soldiers. "These men are fighting a lost cause; Logan put them here to die, and they all know it, they have little choice in this. Fight and risk their lives, or leave and be branded as a deserter. If you give them even a possibility of leaving and becoming part of something worth fighting for, a chance to leave this place and still have honor, they will gladly follow you into battle. These men need a hero, even if they can't admit it. They need you, so show them what a hero can do, what _you _can do, and you will have yourself a small army of men."

Athenis just stared at him. Nice. That was nice. He gave her some encouragement, without being asked or forced to. Maybe he isn't scum.

"Or you could offer your body and that would give you the brigade too," He smirks and winks again, heading back towards the mortar.

_Nope. He's scum._ Athenis rolls her eyes and sighs, running past him, up the last flight of stairs. At the top of the crumbling ledge is a man in bandages, tending to a pile of cannon balls. He looks small due to the distance between them. She could see a large piece of metal sitting at the edge, aiming out towards a field, _Probably the mortar_ she thinks.

Ben jogs up to meet her, shoving his hands in his pockets. He looks out to the field and wonders what it was used for before the legion of the damned came to visit. A seemingly permanent visit at that, too. Jammy is about 50 feet away, slowly loading the mortar and preparing for tonight's assult. _I hope tonight is slow_ he thinks to himself, wishing for a small break or some much needed sleep.

"Captian?" Athenis grabs his attention, causing him to glance over at the hero.

"Hmm?" He responds coolly.

"I need you to promise to keep my secret until tonight. Can you do that? For the sake of the revolution?" She pleads, genuine fear coming through in her eyes. Ben rolls his, getting annoyed at the woman and her petty worries. _Like it would really make a difference if they knew_. He sighs, but nods in response.

"Sure. My lips are sealed." He purses his lips, brings his thumb and index finger across them and flings them out to the camp, reassuring her of his promise.

"Good. Thank you." Athenis nods, looking down at her shoes. _I hope you can keep your word, Captain._ She walks along the edge of the cliff, testing her limits on balance, moving ever so slightly closer to the edge each time. Absentmindedly she starts to hum a song her mother once sang to her as a child. The words play in her head as memories of her long gone mother flood her mind.

_Down by the reeds_

_Down by the reeds_

_Swim the sirens of Oakvale_

_Out to the seas._

_Down by the reeds_

_Down by the reeds_

_Float the souls left unbro-_

Ben clears his throat, causing the princess to raise her head at the sudden interruption. She clears her throat awkwardly, realizing there had been an awkward silence, and is introduced to Jammy.

"This is Private Jammy, he'll be your loader," Ben says and gestures to the mortar.

"Pleasure to meet you ma'am. It's true what they say about me ya'know, the jammiest soldier in Albion! Seven hundred and twenty-four wounds, and still standing!" Jammy proudly announces with congested sinuses. He sticks his bandage free hand towards Athenis, smiling and sniffing his nose, blood oozing out of his arm bandage. Athenis gives him a nervous smile, taking the soldier's hand and lightly shaking it.

"It's great to meet you, Jammy. I'm Athenis." She flinches a little when a blister pops between their hands, puss running down her palm to drip on her shoe. She shivers and has to stop herself from gagging as she gingerly wipes her hand on her ragged trousers, ridding her hand of the repulsive, runny yellow goo.

Ben sees disgust spread across the princess's face, and tries to reassure her. "Don't worry, after a while, he's hardly revolting at all!"

She gives him a smile and a quiet, yet unconvinced laugh. Ben smiles back at her and doesn't look away, letting her drink up his good looks. Athenis doesn't stare at him though, instead she turns towards the mortar and places her hands on her hips. "Let's get started then, shall we?"

Ben doesn't answer but looks at Jammy, hoping for some sympathy. Jammy shrugs his shoulders and turns to load the mortar. _What? What woman has ever _not _taken the chance to marvel at my looks? Have I lost my charm? No, no, she's just stubborn, that's it, yes. No worry, she'll be at my feet sooner or later, that's a guarantee. No woman has passed me up, and it isn't going to happen now, _he promises himself, gaining back his confidence. 

Athenis squats, sort of awkwardly due to the height difference between her and the mortar, and places her hands on the handles.

_She's got this all wrong, _he thinks, bracing for impact, knowing she will certainly be thrown back when it fires. He fixes his stance a little when she shuffles around, getting ready to save the armature hero from falling over the edge and breaking any bones. One soldier had attempted to jump from the almost 40 foot ledge and had broken his legs, landed on his side and broke three ribs. One of his ribs punctured his lung and he drowned. Needless to say he lost the bet.

_This should be easy, right?_ Athenis asks herself. Of course it will. You just aim, and shoot. _Nothing to it_. She swings the heavy metal to her right, aiming at the first scarecrow. Jammy cheers her on, encouraging her to 'hit the bugger right in the face'. It takes a while, but soon she is confident with her placement and calls to Jammy.

"Alright light it Jammy."

Athenis pokes her head to the side, stretching her neck to watch the scarecrow burst into tiny fragments, confident in her aim. Just before the string disappears, Ben looks to Athenis to make sure she won't hurt herself too bad and that he is ready to catch her based on the force she will be thrown back at.

He watches the last bit of rope burn, and Athenis is sitting dangerously close. Close enough to maim.

"Oh I wouldn't-" The recoil slams into her stomach, forcing her backwards into Ben. He falls back, not ready for the amount of impact and lands very close to the edge. His head makes contact with the hard concrete, his world going black suddenly.

Athenis pulls her hands to her stomach and twists to her side, wishing for the pain to stop. Ben groans, his hands gingerly reaching to his head. He pulls his fingers back to find them stained red, the liquid finding every bump and crevice of his print. He feels the blood start to weave down his scalp, making an odd and curvy route to his neck. He groans and pushes his palm to the wound, trying to force the blood back where it belongs.

Athenis hears him and looks, her pain subsiding when she sees him. He has blood on his fingers and there is a small pool of blood where his head landed. She gasps and flings her body around, grabbing his face as he tries to sit up.

"Ben, you're bleeding!" she gasps quietly and slightly panicked, turning his head gently to look at the wound. The wound is about the length and width of her thumb. She gasps again and looks at him. "Ben you need to-"

"It's fine, It's not a big deal." He lies, not wanting to seem weak.

"No, Ben, It's not, it needs to be tended to." She looks him in the eyes, then turns his head to look at the gash again. She looks to the bricks he hit his head on, and sees a sharp, jagged piece sticking out slightly. Grimacing, she pads around her sides and back, searching for her medicine she luckily found on her way here. "Hold on, I've got a healing potion on me." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small, red vial. She rips off a small bit of Bens shirt for a rag and goes to pour the pinkish contents on his gash.

"Hey! What do you need a piece of my bloody shirt for?"

"I need a cloth so it doesn't stain you shirt and to soak up what runs down your head," she says, plainly.

"Well you already ruined it, I don't see the point in saving my shirt," he mumbles, but Athenis ignores him.

"Hold still, this will sting," she pauses, "a lot."

She begins to pour a little bit of the pink liquid behind his temple, and he flinches. She places her right hand on his face, to keep him steady and encourage him to stay still. "Try not to move," She says, adjusting her position and putting her thumb against his chin to keep herself from shaking. She has never been good with blood or cuts or even scrapes for that matter, and Ben's wound is making her stomach churn and her hands shake.

She takes a deep breath and starts to slowly pour the contents onto his head, letting the cloth absorb what the wound didn't. She gave the bottle to him, instructing him to drink what was left, then takes the soaked cloth and cleans the blood on his head and the border of his injury. She then ties the cloth around his head and looks at him. His dazzling blue eyes pierce right into hers and she is frozen, but only for a second. She feels the heat escape her feet and appear on her cheeks, an odd sensation rise from her legs to her head. She clears her throat and stands up, disregarding the embarrassing moment. "Let's try the mortar again."

"Y-yeah, let's do that," Ben stammers a little bit, not expecting the odd feeling he got when they locked eyes. He sits up and looks back to the mortar. Jammy is staring at him, giving an awed yet concerned look for his comrade and captain. Ben smirks and winks, standing up slowly, not wanting to give himself a bigger headache.

Athenis is already positioning herself again, in almost the same exact way she did before. _Does this girl not learn?_


	3. Hollow Men Part 1

**Hello! It's been a very long time since I have updated my story… pardon me please ****J**** I got a laptop a while ago and now can type when I want to! Yay! Quite a bit has gone on in my life and my friends, so that is partially why I haven't been writing. Anyway, here we go!**

Athenis looked at the mortar, thinking about her last shot. She had gotten Ben hurt. She had _hurt _someone. Her eyes widened and she stood up, guilt spreading to every inch of her.

"Oh Benjamin, I'm so sorry!" Her hands flew to his face, lightly padding it like a worried mother. "I-I didn't mean to hurt you, I am so, _so _sorry!" Athenis's breath became more rapid as the realization hit harder and sunk in further. Tears started to well up on her eye lids and she looked at him with sad, pleading eyes, her hands now lightly gripping his arms. "Please forgive me Benjamin, I don't know how-"

"Hey, hey I'm okay, really," Ben shook his head, a tiny smile appearing on his lips, "Let's just focus on your stance." Athenis looked at him and saw his lips slightly angling upwards, a sign he in fact was not okay, and shook her head.

"No, Benjamin, you were hurt because of me. It's not okay and, and I need to fix it somehow."

"I'm really okay, and it's getting dark. You need to learn how to shoot that thing correctly before nightfall." Benjamin's words made sense, though she didn't like them. Sighing inwardly, she promised she would make it up to him somehow, but not now. She needed to learn how to shoot the mortar correctly so no one gets hurt, and to keep whatever is coming out of the brigade.

She thought of the warning Walter gave her about nightfall as she finally nodded her head in response, and turned towards the sky. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the faint glow of the sun being greedily eaten by the horizon. She silently scolded herself again for hurting Benjamin and wasting time, and promised herself neither of them would happen again.

"Okay Benjamin, can you teach me how to use this thing?" She asked, not looking at him.

"Will you let me?" He asked, Athenis hearing a tint of condescendence in his voice. She turned her head to face him only to roll her eyes. "And please, just Ben," he added quietly. She ignored it and turned towards the mortar.

"Yes, now let's get going, it's almost dark."

"Captain?" Jammy spoke up. Both Athenis and Ben looked to the forgotten soldier, questioning him with their eyes.

"Yes, what is it Jammy?" Ben asked hesitantly.

Jammy pointed out past the trenches, into the trees and said no more than a small nod to the figures. At first Ben did nothing but stare, trying to see what his fellow soldier had spotted. He looked only out to the horizon, but something caught his eye, an unnatural flick in the forest, and finally he saw.

"Take the boy to the dungeon, let him rot in his own filth. Maybe his beloved princess will come to save him." He paused in thought, his finger lightly tapping his chin. "For that matter, have his cell guarded at all times. If she comes, I want her alive. If you deem it necessary to have her barely breathing, then so be it. All I ask for is a beating heart and open eyes." He looked at the small boy in front of him, brown hair tossed and in his eyes that were red from tears. He looked frail and tiny, like he could snap in half if he so much as touched a sword or gun. He sneered at the boy before turning to leave. "Pathetic. I can see why she left." He strode away and snapped his fingers behind him, signaling the soldiers to take the boy away.

"No! Logan you can't do this!" Elliot struggled against the guard's tight grip uselessly. "She'll come for me! She'll take me out of this place and no one but I will see her doing it! If you don't think she'll come for me then why guard my cell?!" The guards kicked open the doors and dragged Elliot to the hall. "Logan you're a monster!"

The doors slammed shut and maids rushed to clean the boot marks off of them.

"Stop it! Get off of me!" Elliot squirmed and kicked in effort to escape, though he knew it was futile. "Help! Somebody help me!"

The guards hauled the boy to the barracks which were loud with old thieves and killers, excited by the new comer. "Let go!" Elliot kicked one of the guards which got him a punch in return. His stomach churned from the impact, and he coughed in efforts to calm it.

"Quiet boy, you're disturbing the inmates." Elliot glared at him. The guard laughed and hoisted Elliot into his cell. "If looks could kill," He said in a mock tone and slammed the cell door shut, walking off laughing with the other guard.

Glowing orbs flashed as leaves danced nervously between skulls. Weapons clanked against bone and hollow cloth, waiting for the last ray of fire to vanish. Wind took its cue and forced past the skeletons, into the trees. As the sun finally hid and let the moon take its slow course, the Hollow Men did the seemingly impossible. They roared, all as one unit, and charged forward with their weapons high.

"Jammy, what is it?" Athenis asked, worry beginning to take its place in her stomach of emotions. No one answered her as she watched Benjamin take the mortar and swing it upwards.

"Load it Jammy!" Jammy did as he was told and Ben shouted over the sound of bones clashing with dirt. "They're coming! Battle stations!"

Panic now took over her pile of emotions and she drew her sword. "What? They're here?" She looked at Benjamin for an answer.

"You can't hear them?" She shook her head and looked out where Jammy had pointed. She laughed as she saw the figures running. She threw her arms up and smiled.

"Hollow Men!" She laughed again and trotted to the edge of the wall. "And here I thought it was something horrible." Jammy and Ben looked at each other, frozen in confusion. Ben noticed she was at the edge and leapt forward to save her from the fall. He reached out is hand to grab her, but she was already gone.

"Athenis!" He watched her body fall, her arms out wide and her back to the ground. He started running for the stairs, his stomach twisted and preparing to see the first death of the night. He thought maybe it was a suicide attempt, but really didn't know what to make of the situation. She was laughing, but at what? Had she gone mad? He shook his head, deciding he would just deal with it when he saw the damage. Maybe by some miracle the girl had survived. The war drums of Hollow Men feet came louder, and Ben's heart started to match the pace of the drums. An image of distorted limbs twisted its way into his head. More images forced their way into his mind, so he ran faster to get them to stop.

Jammy ran to the edge just in time to see Athenis pull her arms in and spin, landing on the ground with her knee and palm catching her. He sighed in relief and bent over for a second, but the sound of Hollow Men brought him to the mortar. He manned it himself, only taking out a few at a time.

Ben made it to the bottom of the stairs and ran into Walter. He gasped and started apologizing to him, gaining a furrowed brow and a slight frown.

"Walter, I'm so sorry, I tried to stop her, but Athenis, she.." Ben just looked at Walter with pleading eyes. He would surely give him the beating of a lifetime if she wasn't okay.

"What are you jabbering about boy? She's just fine." He squinted at Ben and shook his head.

"Fine? She fell off the bloody-"

"Walter, what are you doing over here? They'll be at the gate soon, we should be over with the other soldiers." Athenis looked at Walter like he was a mad man.

Walter gave the same look to Ben and lowered his head to Ben's level. "She's fine Ben, now let's go." Walter shook his head and drew his pistol, trotting to the group of soldiers gathered before the gate. Ben stood there for a second, then shook his head as well to clear his mind. He could talk to Athenis after the battle. There is an immediate threat he needs to focus on.

"They've reached the gate!" Ben pulled his rifle out and joined the others, Jammy standing next to him. Jammy shrugged,

"I got as many as I could, but I-"

"It's okay there's nothing we can do about it now. They're here and we'll fight until they aren't." Jammy nodded and focused his rifle at the gate. Two men ran up to hold it, and Ben started to push through the small crowd to help, but it was too late. The gate creaked under pressure and broke, pieces of safety splitting into logs, falling on and ultimately killing the two men. Ben heard a cry and looked for where it came from, although he already knew who had screamed for the soldiers. He watched her face contort into horrible expressions of anger and sadness. He saw tears fall down her cheeks as she drew her sword. He watched as emotion now drove her, her strikes quick and lethal, yet somewhat stupid. Her stomach was unguarded and vulnerable. She was too fast for any Hollow Men to get the chance to strike her, but he needed to teach her how to fight correctly if he ever got the chance. He wondered how she could get this way after the death of two soldiers though. How could she have such emotion over men she didn't know?

Elliot pressed his face through the bars of his door, yelling out for the help he was sure was coming. "Athenis! Please, take me out of this… this _hell hole_!" He squeezed his arm through the door, reaching for the keys.

"Quiet, boy!" The guard bellowed, walking over with a large blunt object. Elliot saw him raise it to bring it down on his outstretched arm and quickly retreated into his cell. The guard, obviously disappointed, started bobbing the weapon in his hand. He looked at Elliot with a sinister smile, reaching to grab the cell keys. "I bet you could tell me where your little _princess_ has gone," He advanced to the door, sliding the key in. "How long do you think it would take for this little runt to break?" He asked to no one in particular. Elliot shrinked back into the far corner of his block.

"P-please, I'll-"

"Please, oh please don't hurt me," He mocked in a girlish tone. "I'll do anything, just don't hurt me!"

"Please, no I'll-" Elliot started.

"You'll what? Give me the princess's location?" The man raised an eyebrow. Elliot made a face of disgust and brought his arm up to his chest.

"Never."

The guard laughed and shoved Elliot into the wall.


End file.
